Discards, A Love Story
by islashlove
Summary: This story follows the episode 'Discards', season, 5 episode 10, but it will have a few extra twists and turns in it and a little bit more at the end. This is a slash story
1. Dane and Jesse Travis

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own anything that is from Diagnosis Murder. **

**Warning:**** This is a slash story which means same sex relationships. If you don't like it, don't read it.**

**Beta:**** Yes, I would like to say thank you to my Beta jerseybelle**

**Author's Notes:**** I have a big thank you to 'Gracie's Mom' for this story and her patience while I wrote it.**

**Story Notes:**** This story follows the episode 'Discards', season, 5 episode 10, but it will have a few extra twists and turns in it and a little bit more at the end. **

**Discards, A Love Story:**** By islashlove**

**Chapter 1:**** Dane and Jesse Travis.**

Dane Travis walked slowly from the airport terminal to his company car that was parked in the airport's parking area. It had been a long flight and as he walked, Dane thought about what he had planned to do while he was in LA.

He had already made plans to catch up with his son and he defiantly had to check-in with Drake and maybe, just maybe, he could find the time to catch up with Cinnamon Carter as well. Dane smiled at the thought of seeing his old friend and ex-lover again.

Dane was so deep in thought that he didn't see the reflection of a man approaching him from behind. Before Dane knew it, the man had a piece of wire around his neck, but it didn't take long for Dane's training to click in, especially since he was now fighting for his life and soon he had the upper hand and the man in a choke hold. With one more twist of his hands, the man was dead.

Dropping the body on the ground, Dane stood there for a few seconds to catch his breath and to look at the now dead attacker. He didn't look like a mugger, but then how many muggers attack their victims by strangling them. Dane quickly looked around and seeing that there was no one there, he quickly moved the body out of sight and walked back to his car.

Looking at his watch, Dane could see that it was just after five. Guessing that his son would be finished work soon, he decided to go and see him first, instead of heading to his hotel room, just in case.

As he drove to his son's apartment, Dane quickly made a phone call.

"Drake here," the voice on the other end said.

"Drake, it's Dane, look…I've just had an attempt on my life."

"Well, you're alive, so I take it that the other man got away or is dead?"

"Dead, we were in the airport car park."

"Well, not much I can do about it."

"Why's that?"

"There's already been a report to the local police about it. We'll just have to wait and see how it plays out."

"Ok, I just wanted to give you the heads up."

"Thank you for that and I will wait to get your report tomorrow. Goodnight, Dane."

"Goodnight, Drake," and with that Dane hung up.

It didn't take Dane long to drive to Jesse's apartment and it took even less time to break-in, when he realised that Jesse wasn't home. He could have just waited for Jesse to get home, but after the incident at the airport, he didn't want to be seen on the street.

After getting in, Dane made himself a drink, picked up a magazine to read and thought about what he was going to say to Jesse. When he had called to make arrangements to come and see Jesse, he was hoping to try and fix a few of the bridges that were between them. It had been a long time since he'd seen his son, long enough for him to have grown-up and become a doctor. He wondered if he and Jesse would ever be close again, like they were before he left.

Jesse had just finished a long shift at the hospital and he stopped off to do some shopping for food that he hoped his dad would like. It had been such a long time since he had seen his dad and he wasn't sure what he ate anymore.

Jesse was a little apprehensive about seeing his dad again. Every time his father had tried to contact him or tried to mend the hurt he had caused in the past, Dane had just gotten Jesse's hopes up, only to destroy them, and him, once again. So when he had tried again after years of no contact, Jesse had just cut him down. He didn't need the hurt anymore. It was bad enough that every time he saw the way Mark and Steve were with each other that he wished that he could have had that with his dad too.

It was not long after the phone call when Mark caught Jesse watching him and Steve mucking around, with a sad longing in his eyes. So Jesse wasn't surprised that Mark had called him on it later when they were on their own.

Mark had made it quite clear to Jesse that he was like another son to him, but Jesse really needed to give his dad another chance. So when Jesse arrived home that night he gave Dane a ring. As he waited for him to pick up, Jesse kept turning the piece of paper he had written Dane's number on and wondered why he had written it down in the first place and that maybe Mark was right, he did want to give his dad another chance.

Jesse walked out of the lift carrying two heavy shopping bags, grateful that his apartment was right next to the lift doors. Struggling, he managed to unlock his door, open it and walk through. After kicking the door shut, Jesse made his way to the kitchen where he put the bags down. He started to go through his mail as he walked into his living room.

Jesse suddenly stopped when he saw his desk chair slowly turning. Sitting in the chair was an older man about Mark's age. He had short greying hair and held a magazine in his hands. The man then smiled at Jesse.

"Dad," Jesse said in shock, since he wasn't supposed to be seeing his dad until tomorrow.

"Sorry I missed dinner; I got held up at that airport. The parking there is murder."

Smiling, Jesse started to think that maybe, just maybe, his dad won't hurt him again, this time.

The father and son sat down to talk.

**Thank you for reading and for reviewing my story.**


	2. A Crime Scene and a Promise

**Chapter 2:**** A Crime Scene and a Promise**

Steve stood at the back of the airport car park looking down at the body of a dead man. He couldn't see any marks on the body to indicate how he had died and Steve was sure that the car he was found under didn't kill him because again there were no tire marks.

There were drag marks on the ground indicating that the body had been dragged from another area of the car park and then dumped there. The man himself looked like he was Asian and his passport and driver's license confirmed this. Steve heard someone heading his way and when he looked up, he saw Amanda walking towards him.

"Amanda," Steve said smiling as he greeted her.

"Steve, so what do you have for me?"

"A dead body believe it or not. The woman over there," Steve said pointing to a woman nearby that was talking to some other officers, "just returned from a trip and came here to collect her car and found him underneath it."

"Really, Steve, that's a bad joke. He was under the car?"

"Yes, he was under the back wheels. When she saw him she screamed and a few passers-by stopped to help and they dragged him out, that's when they realised that he was dead."

"Any sign of a murder weapon?"

"Not yet, but we're still looking. He's wearing a suit that is too good to belong to a homeless person who was trying to find somewhere to sleep. Do you have any idea of what we are looking for?"

"Sorry, but I can tell you he has a broken neck. Other than that, I can't see anything else. Sorry, but you'll will have to wait until I get him back to the lab."

"I figured that. Any idea when he expired?"

Amanda gave Steve a stern look; she then just shook her head and smiled.

"Sorry, can't give you that right now, but I can say it wasn't too long ago."

"Ok, so…"

"So…I will bring my findings over to the beach house tomorrow morning."

"Ok and…"

"Detective Sloan." Steve turned around to see an officer calling to him.

"Excuse me, Amanda." Steve walked over to the officer who was standing near another car. "Yes, Officer?"

"Sir, I thought you might want to see this." The officer bent down.

Steve did the same so he could see what the officer wanted to show him. Once he saw it, Steve called for a photo to be taken and then he pulled a long piece of wire that had a piece of wood on each end out from under the car. Steve had seen this type of item before in his police and army training. It was used to strangle people and was often used by assassins. After putting it into an evidence bag, Steve walked back over to Amanda.

"Our victim wasn't strangled was he?"

"Not that I can see, why?"

"Because, we just found this over there." Steve showed Amanda the bag with the wire in it.

"His neck is broken, but there are no marks on his neck. Sorry, Steve, but that would have left a distinct mark."

"Maybe, he was the one using this and his victim got the upper hand."

"Well, we won't know anything until I get him back to the lab and get the autopsy done."

"Ok, I think I've done all I can here. I'll head back to the station and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Ok, bye, Steve." Amanda watched Steve leave, before returning her attention to the moving of the body.

Meanwhile, over at Jesse's apartment, it hadn't occurred to Jesse that he had found his dad in his locked apartment, or the fact that he had gotten to see his dad a day earlier than he expected to. Jesse had just made them some dinner and they sat there talking, something Jesse never thought he and his dad would ever do.

Jesse just sat there listening to his dad tell him about his life as a shoe salesman. It wasn't that exciting, but he had never gotten this far before. Usually his dad would make some excuse and leave before they even saw each other, so to have his dad there in person, talking about something he's not interested in, didn't bother Jesse. It was just the fact that his dad was there that was important.

But one thing that Jesse did notice about his dad was he seemed…nervous and he avoided talking about his 'other' family. It was the one thing that hurt the most for Jesse. He was his dad's son, but his dad had left him to raise another woman's child.

After a while, it was Jesse's turn to talk. He tried to avoid talking about his mum and about how much he had been hurt when his dad left. So Jesse just talked about the good times and about his life since he had moved to LA and meeting Mark, Steve and Amanda.

Dane was very impressed with the life Jesse had made. He knew that Jesse's childhood must have been bad and he hadn't helped by leaving and then always breaking his promises, but it looked like Jesse had turned out to be a fine young man and had found some great friends. Although…the way Jesse spoke about Steve, Dane couldn't help but to think that there was something more in Jesse's words then just friendship. But if there is anything, he will let Jesse tell him in his own time, just like one day he will tell Jesse about Cinnamon.

He was also surprised to hear that Jesse wasn't just a great ER doctor, but he owned a restaurant call BBQ Bob's and somehow, kept getting himself involved with solving crimes, all with his friend Detective Steve Sloan.

Anyway the night wore on and finally Dane was ready to leave. They made plans for when Jesse got off work the next day to head over to Mexico and do some fishing. As Jesse closed the door and locked it, he smiled to himself.

Jesse had tried to not let himself get lost in the hype of seeing his dad again or to get his hopes up when his dad promised him that nothing would stop them from going to Mexico.

**Thank you for reading and for reviewing my story.**


	3. That Morning and Another Broken Promise

**Chapter 3:**** That Morning and Another Broken Promise**

When Amanda arrived early the next morning, she found Mark and Steve up and had just finished breakfast. After Mark made a fresh pot of coffee they started to go over the autopsy results.

"Well our victim was defiantly killed when his neck was broken and by the looks of it…it was done by someone's hands," Amanda said as she read her notes.

"I think he came off one of the planes," Mark added.

"Well, the name on his passport and driver's license says his name is 'Mr. Kim'. Of course they are both fake, but a Mr. Kim matching his description did get off a plane at four thirty yesterday afternoon."

"How did you do with the wire?"

Steve held up the bag, "It seems like it did belong to Kim, or at least his DNA was on the wooden parts which means he held it at one point and there is unknown DNA on the wire itself. What about the time of death?"

"He hadn't been there long at all. He died around five."

"Well, at least that gives me a starting point. I might go back to the airport and check the surveillance camera footage for the killer's license plate."

"Well you be careful, Steve. You don't want to go messing around someone who can snap a human neck with their bare hands."

"I will, Dad."

Just then Jesse walked in carrying a walking cane in his hand. He was whistling and was in a very upbeat mood. Everyone was looking at him and was glad to see him so happy. Jesse looked over Mark's shoulder to see what they were doing and upon seeing the photo of Mr. Kim he poked it with the cane.

"Oh, how tragic that man chose a beautiful day to die."

"He was murdered, Jesse. Sorry to upset your good mood." Mark watched the regret flicker though Jesse's eyes.

"I am sorry, Mark, but there is nothing that can put a damper on my happiness today."

"And why's that?" Amanda asked.

"Because, who, after work today is taking a week off so he can go fishing with his dad?"

"Is this the same Dr. Travis that did his best to avoid going fishing with his dad?"

"That was the old Dr. Jesse Travis." Jesse pointed towards Mark. "I was convinced that I should spend some quality time with my Dad."

"Well good for you." Amanda said giving Jessie a genuine smile.

"Especially, since you two have been apart from each other for so long." Steve stood up and said his goodbyes. "I would love to stay and chat but I have a killer to find, so I better get going."

"Well, Jesse, I will take that as we should be going to work as well." Mark picked up his coffee cup but Amanda stopped him, offering to clear up the dishes before she leaves.

"Thank you, Amanda," Mark says handing her the cup. "Can you lock up for me when you leave?"

"Of course I can and you two have fun at work."

Amanda watched the two men leave before she cleaned away the coffee cups and then headed out herself, locking the doors behind her.

It was a quiet day at Community General, so Jesse and Mark were just going for lunch when Jesse saw his dad walk off the lift.

Dane saw Jesse looking at him and a hard lump formed in his throat. He didn't want to disappoint Jesse yet again, but it looked like he would have to. He had spoken to Drake who suggested that it would be better if Dane left town for now. He was planning on it, that's why he suggested the fishing trip to Jesse, but they did point out that if someone is trying to get to Dane they might do it through Jesse, so Dane just gave in and said he would leave, but he wanted to tell Jesse in person this time.

As Dane walked over, he noticed another doctor watching him. He was older, most likely his age, but he looked like he had been around for a long time.

"Dad! Good to see you. Mark, this is my father, Dane Travis."

"Well, pleased to meet you, Mr. Travis." Mark said holding his hand out.

"Nice to meet you, too, Dr. Sloan. From what Jesse has told me I owe you a lot for looking after him."

"Please, it was my pleasure. Jesse is a great doctor and a wonderful man and please call me Mark."

"Well, I'm Dane then."

Mark watched as Dane looked around. He seemed nervous about something and Mark hoped it didn't mean that Dane was going to bail on Jesse. He wasn't sure if Jesse could take it again.

"Well, Dane, nice to meet you, but I have to get back to my patients. I'll catch you later, Jesse."

"Ok, Mark," Jesse said wishing that Mark would stay.

"He seems to be a very nice man, Jesse," Dane said as he watched Mark walk away. "Is there somewhere we can talk?"

"We can talk right here," Jesse said, he had heard those words so many times in the past he already knew what was coming. Why did he believe things were going to be different this time?

"Ok…look, Jesse, I got a call from my…other family and I need to go back to Toronto. I am so sorry, I was really looking forward to going on this fishing trip with you and…"

"Save it! We need to talk about this."

"Maybe in a week or two, I could…"

"No Dad, it's today, after my shift or you can just walk out that door right now, but if you do, don't ever worry about coming back."

Dane thought about what Jesse had just said. He didn't want to lose Jesse, but it was getting dangerous and that could put Jesse's life in danger as well. Dane guessed that he could leave later that night.

"Fine, meet me for dinner at Del Florio at eight and don't be late."

With that, Dane didn't give Jesse a chance to respond, he just walked away. Right now, he needed to let Drake know what was happening. Plus, he knew that if he looked at Jesse right now, he could see the disappointment and anger in his face.

**Thank you for reading and for reviewing my story.**


	4. Mr Drake and Mr Kesler

**Chapter 4:**** Mr. Drake and Mr. Kesler**

Steve stood in the office of the Bureau of Investigatory Services. He thought it was a funny name for a bug extermination business, but he wasn't there to judge their name. He was there to talk to the manager about one of his cars, which had happened to have been in the car park at the time of the murder.

As he waited, Steve looked around the room. It seemed to be just like every other office he had been in. It was full of books, it had a desk and chair and all sorts of diplomas covering the walls. As Steve got a closer look at one of diplomas, he heard some one walk in behind him.

"I'm sorry that I keep you waiting." The man waited until Steve had turned to face him. "I'm Alexander Drake. How can I help you, Detective?" Drake finished off as he held out his hand.

"Detective Sloan, Steve Sloan," Steve said as he shook hands with Mr. Drake. "I would just like to ask you a few questions."

Steve gave Mr. Drake a quick look over. The man before him would most likely be in his late fifties. He was wearing a custom made suit and expensive shoes. Steve guessed that the bug business was doing well.

"And what would those questions be?"

"Well, early this morning this man," Steve showed Mr. Drake a photo of Mr. Kim, "was killed in the car park of the airport. I have cleared just about all of the cars that were parked there at the time of the murder but this one. I believe it is registered to your company."

"Yes," Mr. Drake said, "that car does belong to this company, but I don't see how this is connected to your murder."

"As I said, Mr. Drake, this car was parked in the area of the murder and left not too long after, if not at the same time. So what I would like to do is to talk to the driver so I can see if they saw anything."

"I see…" Just then another man, most likely of African-American decent, came in and joined them. He was carrying a drink for Steve, who took it with a nod of his head and placed it on the table in front of him. "This is Jim Kesler, he is my second in charge and as I was saying, Detective Sloan, our man may not have seen anything and the killer could have just walked in off the street and not used a car."

"I agree, the killer could have quite easily have walked in off the street, but I also said that I would like to question the driver of that car in case they saw something," Steve said standing up and bumping his drink.

He watched as Mr. Kesler wiped up the spilt drink.

"And as I said, I don't see how this will help you with your case."

Steve had had it with this run around. Slamming his hands onto the desk causing the drink to spill even more, Steve growled.

"I either talk to the driver of that car now, or I return with a search warrant and a lot of very sloppy cops that will rip this place to pieces."

"Mr. Kesler, could you please try and find out who was using this car this morning."

"I'll try Mr. Drake, but I can't promise anything."

"And why is that, Mr. Kesler?" Steve asked as he let out a sigh.

"Well for starters, not all of our employers always sign the cars out. Plus I will have to cross reference with who was flying in or out at that time. You see, Detective, there could have been a different driver then the one that signed for the car. It could have been signed out by the person dropping it off for an employee that was flying back in, or it could have been signed out by the person who was flying out, but driven back here by a different person."

"Well then, I suggest you find out who was driving it around five this morning, otherwise I will be back. And I mean by me, as in me and my men. Do I make myself clear?" Steve looked back and forth between both men.

"I promise you, Detective, that Mr. Kesler will have you the name by the end of the day, won't you Kesler."

"Yes, sir," Kesler said, but he didn't take his eyes of Steve.

"Fine, but if I haven't heard anything by tomorrow morning, I will be back with my search warrant."

"It will be fine, now we do need to get back to work, if you don't mind," Mr. Drake said as he showed Steve towards the door.

"I will be waiting for your call, Mr. Kesler," Steve said as he left. He had this funny feeling he was still getting the run around.

The two men watched as Steve walked away.

"What are we going to do now? We can't have local law enforcement nosing around," Kesler said as he and Drake headed back to the desk.

"Don't worry, I will deal with this."

"Was it one of our men?"

"Yes, it was Dane Travis. Apparently, he was attacked by this man as he reached his car. I've told him to get out of town for now."

"Good idea, I wonder who the man worked for?"

"We'll, find that out soon as well and…" Just then the phone rang and Drake answered it.

"Hello,"

"_"

"Good…at least you're out of your hotel room. I suggest you get out of town as soon as possible."

"_"

"Why? Because I just had Detective Sloan in my office asking about the car you were driving."

"_"

"Don't worry, I will deal with it."

"_"

"Ok, well…leave as soon as you can and, Dane, I hope you can save your relationship with your son. Just let me know when you leave."

"_"

"Ok, good luck."

With that, Drake hung up and then he and Kesler headed out to a meeting they had to attend.

**Thank you for reading and for reviewing my story.**


	5. A Killer Dinner

**Chapter 5:**** A Killer Dinner**

Jesse fumbled around in his pocket for his apartment keys. Finally, his fingers brushed across the cold metal and he closed his fingers around them, pulling the keys out from the pocket that was hiding them.

Just as Jesse put the key into the lock a hand settled on his shoulder. Using the defensive move that Steve had shown him, Jesse had broken the hold on his shoulder and was now facing the intruder.

Standing before him was a reasonably tall man. He was wearing an expensive pair of demi jeans with a just as expensive pair of shoes and a matching brown leather jacket. He had short, but tidy brown hair. Jesse watched as he put his hands up in defence.

"Easy there. Dr. Jesse Travis, right?"

"That's right…who are you?"

"Bruce, Bruce Travis, your brother or at least, your stepbrother."

"Sorry, I just…you want to come in?"

"Thanks," Bruce said nodding his head.

They both walked into Jesse's apartment and Jesse asked him to sit down which Bruce did, Jesse joined him, sitting on a nearby chair.

"So…Bruce, please, don't take this the wrong way…I mean, I'm glad to finally meet you, but why are you here?"

"Well…this is a little awkward, but…Mum and Dad are having trouble and I need Dad to come home. Mum is getting sick and tired having him away all the time and just before he left this time they had a huge fight."

"I understand…it's one of the many reasons my Mum left him. But I'm sure that…"

"No! Sorry no, Dad needs to get back to Toronto right now. I came here personally to get him to come home, so I can stop another divorce from happening. But when I went to his hotel room, he had already checked out and no one seems to know where he is."

"You don't need to worry; Dad is flying back to Toronto tonight."

"Tonight could be too late. Mum was packing her bags when I left."

Jesse learned back and thought about what he was just told. He didn't want to have his dad in his life if it meant destroying his dad's new family. Then Jesse got an idea.

"Look…I don't know where Dad is right now, but I do know where he is going to be at eight tonight."

"You do?" Bruce asked, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"Yes, Dad is meeting me at Del Florio at eight, and you are welcome to join us."

"Thank you for that. You may have just saved Dad's and my Mum's marriage. I will see you there," Bruce said shaking Jesse's hand, then excusing himself and left.

That evening, promptly at eight, Dane followed the waiter as he was shown to his table, where Jesse was already seated. They nodded at each other as Dane sat down and took the menu that had been offered to him.

"Sorry I'm late, have you ordered yet?"

"No, I was waiting for you."

An awkward silence fell between the father and son. Dane just couldn't understand why he couldn't just talk to Jesse. Why did it have to be so hard?

Jesse's thoughts were the same; this was his father in front of him, so why couldn't it be the same as it was with Mark and Steve? Why couldn't he just open up and tell his dad how much he had hurt him over the years and that he wanted to have some sort of relationship with him. In the end, Dane was the one to break the silence.

"Look, I now we both hoped that this trip to Mexico was going to be different. That we could get to really know each other, but…we can do that anywhere, we could…"

"I thought I already knew you, dad. But now…now with this thing in Toronto and then Bruce turning up on my door step, I don't..."

"Bruce?"

"Bruce…your son, my stepbrother, he came to my apartment earlier." Jesse was confused as to why his dad didn't know who he was talking about.

"Oh Bruce! He's here?" Dane said trying to recover his lapse in memory. After all, Jesse didn't know that he doesn't have stepson, let alone that he didn't have another family at all.

"Yes, and he needs to talk to you.

"He always does and to think he came all this way. I guess he was wearing that red coat he loves so much."

"Actually, he was wearing a brown leather jacket, a pretty sharp one, too."

Jesse did notice that Dane was looking nervously around the restaurant. But he thought it was just worry about Bruce talking to him about their home life.

"Look, Dad, if you are having trouble at home…"

Just then, Dane spied a man wearing the same jacket that Jesse had described sitting not too far away.

"Arr…excuse me, but I need to wash up," Dane said as he got up, leaving no time for Jesse to protest.

As Dane walked away, Jesse sat there taking a sip of water and wondering that if he had told his dad that he was gay, he would get the same reaction. He looked around and saw Bruce walking towards the restroom as well.

"Bruce, Bruce over here," Jesse called out, but Bruce just kept walking towards the restroom. "He mustn't have heard me." Jesse mumbled as he stood up and followed in his dad's and stepbrother's footsteps.

As he walked into the restroom Jesse was expecting to see his dad and Bruce talking, instead no one was there. Suddenly, there was a noise coming from one of the cubicles and the door opened up.

Standing there behind Bruce was his dad, who had Bruce in a head lock. Before Jesse could say anything he heard a snap and he watched Bruce's body drop to the floor. Jesse just stared at his dad, frozen with fear as his dad looked up at him with killer eyes.

Dane knew that this was a bad situation. He couldn't just leave Jesse there; he needed to get Jesse and himself somewhere…safe.

The next thing Jesse knew was that his dad had him by the arm and was leading him out of Del Florio and into his car.

**Thank you for reading and for reviewing my story.**


	6. Is Jesse Safe?

**Chapter 6:**** Is Jesse Safe?**

Dane was worried. Jesse was quiet, very quiet. He wasn't screaming; he wasn't talking at all in fact; all he was doing was staring out of the window. How could Jesse be so quiet, he had just witnessed him killing a man? The same man who had told Jesse that he was his stepbrother. It had been a lie of course, but Jesse didn't know that. All Jesse knew was what he had been told and now…and now it was time to let Jesse in on all of the lies he had been told all his life.

Jesse couldn't believe what he had just seen. Dane Travis, his dad, had just killed someone in front of him and not just a…someone, but his own stepson, Jesse's stepbrother, Bruce. No, that couldn't have just happened. His dad was a taxman; he killed people's hopes and dreams, not actually people. Hell, Jesse couldn't believe that his dad's home life could be that bad.

Looking over at Dane, Jesse felt sick to the stomach. What was he going to do? What was his dad going to do to him? Was he going to kill him too? Was he…no if that was true, his dad would have already done it back at the restaurant. If Jesse was going to get any answers, he was going to have to say something.

"My god, Dad, you just killed a man, you killed your son."

"That's…not my son. That was an assassin that was sent to kill me," Dane said without taking his eyes off the road.

"Why…because he cheated on his tax returns?"

"I'm not an accountant, I never was. I work for the CIA."

"A spy…you're a spy and your other family…?"

"There's no wife, no brother for you, step or otherwise; you're my only son as far as I know."

Dane pulled the car up at a traffic light. He was sure they were safe at the moment, but he knew that wouldn't be for long. He needed to get them both somewhere that was safe, but where?

Just after he stopped, Jesse quickly tried to open his door. His dad had gone mad and he needed to get as far away from him as he could. But, just as he did, his dad grabbed him by the arm and stopped him.

"You have to stay with me now. They could be coming after you."

And as soon as the lights changed Dane drove off again. Quickly thinking, Jesse decided to try and use his dad's delusions against him.

"I have a better idea, Dad. I hadn't told you either, but I'm a spy too and I will go to the Chief at Control and get you some help."

Dane could see what Jesse was doing and if he didn't do something soon Jesse just might jump from the moving car and hurt himself. Calmly, he reached over and started rubbing Jesse's shoulder. He needed to get his hand in the right place.

"I want you to stay calm," Dane said as he slowly started to squeeze the spot on Jesse's shoulder. Jesse's face changed from fear to a pained look, before he blacked out.

Dane made sure that Jesse was comfortable before he started to head to the only place he knew he would be safe. He wanted to catch up with Cinnamon Carter while he was in the city, anyway; he just didn't think it would be like this.

Meanwhile, over at Amanda's Lab…

Amanda and Mark had been going over notes. Lying on the nearby tables are the bodies of two men. One was Mr. Kim and the other was Bruce Travis.

"They both have broken necks and both have fake ID's. I don't think it's a coincidence," Amanda said as she read from her autopsy report.

"Was the second victim found near the airport, as well?" Mark asked shaking his head.

"No, he was found 'round about eight in Beverly Hills at a restaurant called… Del Florio. It's a four star restaurant."

"Del Florio," Mark said in a shocked voice, "where?"

"On the west side…why?"

"Jesse was supposed to be having dinner with his father there at eight."

When Mark said this, Amanda remembered something that she hoped didn't mean anything.

"Nurse Rush just said that he was angry at Jesse for not returning any of his pages tonight."

"Well, Jesse can't be involved in all of this, can he?"

Just as Mark said this, Steve walked in carrying something in his hand. He had just returned from the recent crime scene after interviewing the witness. He just couldn't believe that in a restaurant full of people, hardly anyone saw anything.

"Well, if Jesse is involved, he's had plastic surgery. Witnesses claim that they saw this man," Steve said as he showed Mark and Amanda a sketch of the face of a man, "going in to the bathroom just before the body was found."

Mark took the sketch and had a closer look. "Dane?"

"Mark, do you know him?" Amanda was confused at her friend's reaction.

"Yes, I know this person. I met him this morning. His name is Dane Travis, he's Jesse's father."

"What would Jesse's dad have to do with the murder of our second victim?"

"Actually…he had a link to both victims."

"How's that, Steve?" Mark asked.

"It turns out that he was driving one of the cars that was at the airport when our first victim was found. Dad…would you like to join me while I reinterview Dane Travis's employer?"

"I'd love to, Steve. Amanda we will keep in touch."

"Ok, Mark, and both of you be careful. Oh and if Jesse turns up I'll let you know."

Thank you for that, Amanda," Steve said as he followed Mark out of the lab.

"Dad…"

"Yes, Steve?"

"Do you think Jesse is safe wherever he is?"

"Steve, that if Dane Travis is involved with those two men's deaths and he has taken Jesse somewhere, I'm sure he won't hurt him."

"I hope you're right, Dad."

'So do I, son,' Mark thought to himself.

**Thank you for reading and for reviewing my story.**


	7. Steve and Jesse's Hidden Feelings

**Chapter 7:**** Steve and Jesse's Hidden Feelings**

Steve turned to Mark as they walked out of the hospital. "Dad, do you want to come with me when I go back and question Mr. Drake again?"

"I would love that, Steve; I would love to see how Dane's employer will explain all of this."

"Great, I'll give you a ring later when I'm ready to head over."

"Ok, and don't worry about Jesse too much. I'm sure his dad won't let anything happen to him."

Mark watched as a disbelieving look flickered in Steve's eyes. Disbelieving and…a heart breaking sadness that Mark just wanted to take away from Steve. But before Mark could say anything, Steve collected himself and the looks are gone.

"I'm sure you're right. I just wish Jesse was here with us.

"And he soon will be and then you can start complaining about how much food he's eating again."

Again Mark watched as another hidden emotion, this time guilt, appeared and then disappeared just as quickly in Steve's eyes.

"Yeah, sure, Dad, anyway see you later." And with that Steve hopped into his pick-up and drove off.

Mark just shook his head as he tried to work out what was going on with Steve and his strange behaviour of late. Giving up, Mark jumped into his car and headed home. Mark's head was full of two things, one was Steve and two was trying to think as to where Dane could have taken Jesse.

Steve, on the other hand, was heading back to the station to find more information before he confronted Mr. Drake, but no matter what he tried to do he just couldn't stop thinking about where Jesse could be. Steve has been worried for years that something could happen to Jesse just because he helped him on his job once in a while, but he never thought that it would be Jesse's dad that would bring the danger into the young doctor's life.

Steve just prayed that wherever Dane had Jesse, he was safe. Steve now understood all the times his dad commented on 'wasted time'. He wanted to tell Jesse how he really felt about him, but he couldn't. Steve knew he wouldn't be able to stand to see the hatred and disgust in Jesse's eyes, knowing that Steve thought about him in that way. Wiping a small tear from his eye, Steve swore to himself that he would find Jesse and protect him with his life.

Meanwhile, Dane Travis slowly drove along a quiet road that led up to a large fence, with very large gates. After talking to someone in the house, the gates slowly opened and Dane drove in.

He parked the car in the garage and with the help of a woman that had come out to greet him, they carry the unconscious Jesse into the house, up the stairs and laid him down in one of the beds. Dane and the woman then made their way back downstairs and into the lounge room.

The woman, Cinnamon Carter, was tall and thin, but looked like someone who could take care of herself and although she was glad to see Dane, even if he did have an unconscious boy with him, she doesn't show it.

"So Dane Travis….who's the boy?"

"My son, Jesse, you…remember him, don't you?"

"Arr…yes, yes I do, but why is he…?"

"Someone tried to kill me tonight, Cinnamon. I was having dinner with Jesse and he…caught me disposing of my attacker. I just couldn't leave him there alone. Whoever is after me, knew about my cover family and well, they could have gone after Jesse."

"I can understand that, but who's after you?"

"I don't know. What is your security system like?"

Without a word, Cinnamon walked over to what looked like a screen in the kitchen. Hitting a few buttons, the screen came to life and showed images of the grounds, the doors and windows of the house and then one of a still unconscious Jesse, lying on a bed.

"You…you have a very good security system, Cinnamon."

"Well, Dane, you yourself know that the enemy can be anywhere or…anyone."

"Does that include me, especially after what we have been through?"

"No matter what, we all need someone that we have to trust, whether we like it or not." A small smile crossed Cinnamon's lips, but only stayed for a second. "So, do you have any idea why someone is after you? It's not like you are active anymore."

"Something happened a few weeks ago. Some very sensitive information was intercepted before it reached its buyer."

"Like…Turnkey?"

"Just like Turnkey."

"Well that's interesting, have you spoken to Drake about this?"

"Yes, but he doesn't want to talk about it. I…I went over Drake's head to Langley itself, but they dismissed it as well."

"Why would they be? They're too busy justifying their own existence to worry about a twenty year old case that went south."

"If that's true, if nobody cares, then who's trying to kill me?"

"Well, there is Russia and…"

"No, no," Dane said shaking his head. They have no reason to go after me. I've been a discard ever since the wall came down."

"Maybe it's an ex-love," Cinnamon says as she gave Dane a knowing smile.

Meanwhile upstairs, Jesse slowly awakened and looked around. At first he just wanted to go back to sleep. He was having a wonderful dream of him and Steve surfing. Just the thought of Steve dressed in his board shorts with water running down his bare chest brought a light tinge of red to Jesse's checks. Realising that he was in a strange bed, in a strange room, Jesse tried to remember how he got there, but as the memories assaulted his mind, Jesse cringed at the thought of his dad being a killer.

Getting out of bed, Jesse made his way over to, and opened, a door. After leaving the bedroom, Jesse made his way down a hallway, all the time looking around. He didn't want to run into his dad right now. As he got closer to a set of stairs, he could hear his dad and a woman talking.

Being as quiet as he could, Jesse carefully made his way down the stairs. A little way down, Jesse could see his dad and the woman standing in the lounge room. Jesse watched as Dane picked up a photo frame and turned to the woman.

"Cinnamon…why do you keep this?"

Cinnamon took the frame from Dane and looked at it closely. It had a photo of a very young Dane, Cinnamon and a third man in it.

"It's just a reminder of the old days," Cinnamon says as she traced her finger over it. "It was taken just before…"

Jesse thought that they were taking very quietly, but the truth was, both Dane and Cinnamon had fallen silent, but soon they are talking and Jesse can hear them again.

"You know his son. Kesler could make Assistant Director one day. How Greg loved the game."

"So did I. I used to love it too, but Greg didn't want his son involved in any of this and he did his best to keep it from his family and now they're right in it. I'm just…"

Dane moved further into the lounge and out of Jesse's sight. Jesse moved a few more steps down so he could see them, only to have an alarm suddenly go off. Before he knew what was happening, Cinnamon had grabbed a gun and pointed it at Jesse. Not sure what to do, Jesse just put his arms up into the air in surrender.

"It's just me, don't shot!"

Seeing that it's Jesse, Cinnamon pointed the gun at the ground.

"Sorry, but you need to be more careful," Cinnamon apologised.

'_Funny, Steve always says that to me,'_ Jesse thought to himself as he made it the rest of the way down the stairs.

**Thank you for reading and for reviewing my story.**


	8. Twisting the Truth

**Chapter 8:**** Twisting the Truth**

When Mark received the call from Steve telling him the time they were to meet Mr. Drake, he couldn't keep still. Even Amanda threatened to send him home if he didn't stop it. Mark couldn't wait until he could see this man and see what he has to say about Dane Travis and what lies he would try and use.

Mark didn't want to think that Jesse's dad was a killer, but all the evidence was pointing that way. So as soon as the time came, Mark jumped in to his car and was off to meet Steve outside the building. On the whole drive there, Mark just hoped that they would get some idea were Dane had taken Jesse and that Jesse was safe.

Soon they were walking out of the lift and towards Mr. Drake's office. They only had to wait a moment before being shown in to a very nice office. Inside, Mark observed two men, one was fairly young, most likely in his thirties and the other was an older man with greying hair.

"Mr. Drake, Mr. Kesler," Steve said as he shook each man's hand, "nice to see you again. I would like to introduce you to my father, Doctor Mark Sloan."

Drake gave Mark a confused look, but still shook his hand.

"Dr. Sloan…nice to meet you, but..."

"I'm also a consultant for the police and since questions have come up about the father of one of my staff, a Dr. Jesse Travis, I'm trying to get some answers."

"The father of one of your work colleagues?" Kesler asked.

"Yes. Do either of you now this man?" Steve asked as he handed over a sketch of Dane.

Both Drake and Kesler looked at the sketch and then looked at each other. Drake then shook his head as he handed back the sketch back to Steve.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know this person or anyone that they could look like."

"Really?" Steve said as he took the sketch from Drake's hand. "But my father says that it looks like Dane Travis and your security guard told us that it looks like one of your employees."

Drake gave Kesler another look, but before he could deny knowing who Dane is, Kesler answers Steve.

"That is Dane Travis and he is a field agent. He works with Mexican Bean Bugs."

"Well that's funny, really funny, because Dane told his son that he was a shoe salesman and now you're telling me that Dane is in fact a bug exterminator. So…Mr. Drake, will you please tell me what the truth actually is?"

Drake took a deep breath. "The truth is, Detective Sloan, is that I cannot see what this has to do with your investigation."

"You don't?" Mark asked. "Dane Travis was seen at the sight of a murder and a car that he has access to, was observed at another."

"Well, Dr. Sloan, that's what's called a coincidence."

"Is it also a coincidence that no one in federal, state or local governments has heard of your company?"

"That's because we're in the bug business, not the publishing business." Now, if can excuse us, Mr. Kesler and I have a meeting to go to."

Mark watched as Drake and Kesler start getting ready to leave.

"Come on, Steve, let's go too. I have a few phone calls to make."

Mark turns as if he is about to head out the door, but Steve caught onto what his dad was up to.

"Like the Senator?"

Mark stops to face Steve. "Yes, she owes me a few favours and the Governor as well, I haven't talked to him in a while."

"I wonder if Judge Hightower is in his office."

"If not, I could give him a call at his home…"

"Don't try to bluff me, Dr. Sloan," Drake said with a warning voice. "It's a waste of your time…and mine."

"Well it is a waste of time…if I'm bluffing. So, who is Dane Travis and what does he really do?"

Drake and Kesler look at each other and then Kesler started to talk.

"He's a computer analyst and he does very sensitive work, but nothing that would cause him to kill someone."

"And at that, we are not at liberty to say any more and you don't have the liberty to ask any more."

"Well, are you at liberty to say whether or not Dane Travis is capable of cold blooded, unprovoked murder?" Mark asked.

"I can say that, under the right circumstances, Dane Travis is capable of anything."

Shocked, Kesler blurted out, "No, no way. I know Dane Travis. He worked with my father, he would never go rogue."

"Kesler…" Drake snapped; he then turned his attention back to Mark and Steve. "As I said, we have a meeting to go to." With that, Drake and Kesler walked out.

Still standing in the office, Mark and Steve have a little talk.

"Are you at liberty to say that you are happy with that?"

Steve just shook his head no.

"Neither am I,"Mark finished off before he pulled his phone out and started dialling a number.

After he has finished the call, Mark and Steve left the building and headed to their cars.

"That was a very interesting meeting we just had, Steve."

"I know, and if it is what I think it is…this goes deeper then I first thought."

"True, but right now all I really care about is getting Jesse back, safe and sound."

"So, do I, but I also have two murders to deal with and the fact that my prime suspect is Jesse's dad."

Mark placed a comforting hand on Steve's shoulder. He knew that Steve really cared for Jesse and the fact that Jesse was missing, possibly with a cold blooded murderer, didn't help any.

"I'm sure that where ever Jesse is, Steve, he is safe and eating those who have him out of house and home."

Mark watched as a small smile formed on Steve's face. Now only if he could convince himself that what he just said was true. Shaking his head, Mark and Steve climbed into their respective vehicles and drove off their separate ways. Both men had Jesse on their mind and exactly what his father did for a living.

**Thank you for reading and for reviewing my story.**


	9. A Father and Son Moment

**Chapter 9:**** A Father and Son Moment**

Back at Cinnamon's place Dane was pacing back and forth as he tried to work out how to explain to Jesse about the real life he had been living. Jesse was sitting on the couch watching his father and wondering just what kind of an explanation he was going to get for his father's strange behaviour.

Finally, after deciding the straight forward and honest way would be best, Dane took a deep breath and started talking. "This…it all started a long, long, time ago."

"In a galaxy, far, far away and before you were an accountant," Jesse said sarcastically.

Dane gave Jesse a quick sidewards glance before ignoring him and continuing on. "When the Soviets realised that their technology was outdated in the sixties they came up with a simple plan called 'Turnkey', so they could steal all the technology they wanted."

"Hey, you don't have to go over all of that. History was my best subject, but you wouldn't know about that, would you?" Jesse said with a little anger in his voice.

Jesse was angry at his dad. All this time he had thought that another woman had come between his dad, mum and him. But the truth was, it was his job. Just like his mum, his dad had also more or less abandoned him for work and that hurt even more.

Dane had kept his back to Jesse. He didn't want him to see the hurt in his eyes from what Jesse had just said.

"At one point it was my team's job to stop them from getting hold of a new top secret, DOD computer program."

"Wow, just like James Bond. What did you do next…save the world?"

My partner's name was Greg Kesler. Greg had intercepted the tapes in Germany, hid them and made a dash for the border. I was waiting on the other side of the border crossing, but the Soviets were also waiting."

Jesse could hear a sadness in his dad's voice that he had only heard once before. It was when he told Jesse that he was leaving the family and wasn't coming back. He guessed that from the sadness and the way his dad's shoulders shrunk down that something bad had happened to Kesler.

"They captured him?"

Jesse watched as his dad let out a quiet sigh and then sat down beside him. _'Something really bad most have happened to Kesler'_ Jesse thought to himself.

"They…would have, but Greg broke cover and then he turned into the spotlight…so I could get a better shot, so…I couldn't miss. He knew that if they got him…"

"So…so you killed your friend?"

"Not that it made any difference. The Soviets found the tapes and we didn't save anything; we lost it all."

Jesse couldn't believe that his dad just continued talking as if his question about him shooting Kesler didn't matter. Was his dad a cold-blooded killer? Or was just talking about what had happened to Kesler upsetting his dad so much he just didn't want to think about it? Whatever it was Jesse had never seen his dad like this and when his dad stood up and walked away without saying another word, he was worried.

But Jesse didn't have much time to think about it as Cinnamon took the spot his dad had just vacated. Turning to look at her, Jesse saw that she had a small wooden box on her lap and that she was searching through it.

"It…has to be here…arr," Cinnamon said as she pulled out a photo. "It's Friday, the Twentieth of April, 1981…private ceremony of course." She then passed the photo so Jesse could look at it. "We didn't like to attract too much attention…even when we got a commendation."

Jesse gave the photo a good looking over and then handed it back to Cinnamon. "It could easily be a fake," Jesse said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Yes…it could! So could I and…" Cinnamon paused and gave Dane a sad look, "so could the two that were trying to kill your father. We all could be fake, in fact, I am an expert at playing other people, but this time we are just ourselves. Eventually, it had to be that way. If you want to go, we won't stop you."

Jesse watched as Cinnamon put the photo away, closed the box and locked it. She then hit a button on a control panel at the back of the couch. Jesse listened as the house filled with the sound of clicking as all the locked doors and windows unlocked around him.

Jesse was torn. He didn't want to believe that his dad was a spy. He didn't want to believe that his dad was trained to, and had, killed people. But he couldn't deny what both his dad and Cinnamon had told him either. If he left the house, how was he going to get home? And what would he tell Mark, Steve and Amanda when they asked him as to what had happened?

Too many things were running through his head right now and Jesse wasn't too sure what to think about it. All these years he had been left to believe that his dad was a typical deadbeat father that just left his family for another woman and now…and now the illusion was broken. The funniest thing about all of this was that when Jesse was young, he used to tell people that his dad was a spy and that was why he had left.

Jesse looked at the front door one more time before he stood up and walked into the kitchen where his dad was.

"My Dad, the spy…tell you this will take some time getting used to. I do get some bragging rights, don't I?"

"Arr…sure, there's a lot to brag about." Dane moved around the centre counter and past Jesse. "How I spent my life neglecting my family so I could learn how to live looking over my shoulder and ending up alone in a room pushing papers." Dane returned to the other side of the counter and grabbed the bottle of rum and goes to pour himself another drink.

Jesse walked around to where his dad was standing and took the bottle from his dad's hand and placed it back on the counter.

"Well, Dad…you're not alone anymore." Jesse saw his dad smiled and seemed to relax as if his words had taken a heavy weight off his shoulders. "What's our next move?"

Dane started to laugh and Jesse smiled at this. What did he say that could be so funny for his dad to laugh this way?

"Well…there is someone we could talk too, someone from the old days that might…be able to give us some answers."

"Well then what are we waiting for?"

"Have you always been this pushy?"

"If you ask either Mark, Steve or Amanda, you'll most likely get a yes to that question. Especially Steve."

"Ok, we'll let Cinnamon know where we're going and then we'll leave."

"You're on," and with that Dane and Jesse went to find Cinnamon, who was still sitting on the couch.

"Cinnamon…Jesse and I are going to see Garrison."

"If you think that's for the best, then so be it. But you be careful, you hear."

"Of cause we will be," Dane said as he leaned down and gave Cinnamon a kiss on the cheek and then with that, they headed off.

**Thank you for reading and for reviewing my story.**


	10. The Meeting is Made

**Chapter 10:**** The Meeting is Made**

As they drove over to this man Garrison's place, Jesse took the time to think. He guessed that his dad had ended up leaving him and his mum to protect them and even though he understood that, it still hurt.

Jesse also realised that his dad had been on his own by choice, which meant forgoing any form of love, or did he. What about Cinnamon? She seemed to be a very nice woman and she was his partner at one time and they did seem to still be friends. Maybe something else had happened between them and if it did, Jesse was fine with that. At least his dad would be happy.

Just like Jesse, Dane, too, was thinking about what had happened over the last few hours. He had killed two men who had tried to kill him. He had kidnapped his own son and then took the chance of losing him forever by telling Jesse the truth about his life. But in the end, it just brought him and Jesse closer together, closer than he ever though he could be with his son. Dane just hoped now that it wouldn't cost them their lives.

Jesse looked out the window of the car as it pulled up. They were outside a large building with the name GARRISON INTERNATIONAL on it. He followed his dad out of the car and into the building to the reception desk. After his dad had spoken to the woman at the desk, they waited a few moments before a man dressed in a nice looking suit walked up to them.

Looking at the man, Jesse figured that he was about his dad's age, but maybe a little older. He was shorter than his dad, about his own height and he could, by the look of him, loose a little weight.

As the man reached them, Dane held out his hand. "Garrison, nice to see you again."

"And you too, Dane. So what brings you to my neck of the woods?"

"Well, I was wondering if you could help me, old boy, if you know what I mean."

"Arr…yes, why don't you follow me?" And with that Garrison started to walk off. He led them through the building to his office. As they entered the office, Garrison started to talk again. "Getting out of the game was the best thing I ever did. Providing high tech security systems to wealthy clients is much more…"

"Secure," Jesse offered.

"Profitable," Garrison finished off with a smile.

Jesse wasn't sure what to think about that answer, so he just smiled and sat down. Garrison also sat down behind his desk.

"Well, what we're in the market for today, old boy, is a few answers."

"I'm afraid that all my old contacts are either dead…or writing their memoirs. But why waste your time with me, surely…Drake," Garrison said giving Jesse a wink, "will give you the access to all the information you seek and after all, you do still work for him, why don't you give him a call?"

"Well…you of all people should know how…vulnerable a phone call can be."

"Yes, he called me up this morning and he didn't seem to be caring who was listening."

Jesse looked at his dad. Somehow this seemed to worry him, but he wasn't sure why. Jesse looked back at Garrison. "I thought you said that you got out of the game?"

"But not out of Drake's rolodex. I was rather suspecting that he was contacting all your father's old friends." Then Garrison looked up at Dane. "He very much wanted you to come in."

"Well…" Dane said as he sat down with a very big smile. "Maybe you could set that up."

"I suppose so, for old time sake. Some place neutral?"

Dane nodded his head and as he and Jesse watched, Garrison call Drake.

After Garrison had finished and they had the place and time, Dane bid his friend a goodbye.

After they had left the building and climbed back into the car, Dane asked Jesse, "So…what do you think of the spy game so far?"

"It's a lot like police work. I'm starting it understand why Steve always wants me to stay out of his cases."

"You like him, don't you?"

"Who? Steve…sure, he's my best friend. Why…?"

"Oh, nothing, Jesse, you just seem to mention him a lot." Dane finally started the car and drove off.

"What do you mean…I don't mention Steve any more than I do Amanda or Mark."

"Don't worry about it Jesse. Just don't worry about it."

For the rest of the trip to the open car park, Dane went over things he wanted Jesse to know and understand, especially if things went wrong with the meeting.

**Meanwhile at Community General…**

Mark was so busy looking in the chart he had in his hand, he didn't see Drake and Kesler walk up until they were in his way.

"Your ignorant, blundering interference is jeopardising an important operation."

"Who called first, the Governor or the Senator?" Mark laughed, which only made Kesler take him by the arm and lead him to an empty room that Drake had just walked into.

"You have to understand, Dr. Sloan, there are things we cannot compromise," Kesler said as he closed the doors.

"I'm not interested in compromises. I'm interested in facts."

"With our business, facts can be a slippery thing. Sometimes, to meet our ends we have to fool our enemies into believing they are running the operation, when in reality we are," Drake explained.

"And vice versa," added Kesler.

"It's a chess game…move and counter move…deceit against deceit," finished off Drake.

"My friend's missing and you are the key to finding him, that's all I'm interested in."

"Have your son call me. I've arranged a meeting. I'll bring in Dane and Dr. Travis and then we all will have to face the facts."

As soon as Drake and Kesler left, Mark was on the phone to Steve telling him all that had just gone down.

It took Steve a few moments and a big promise to his dad that he would be at the meeting to make sure Jesse was fine, before he could get Mark to put down the phone so he could call Drake. After he had called and made it clear to Drake that he had to be at the meeting, otherwise his dad would be talking to the Governor or Senator again Steve checked his gun and headed straight to the meeting place. He just hoped that Jesse was ok.

**Thank you for reading and for reviewing my story.**


	11. The Meeting Goes Wrong

**Chapter 11:**** The Meeting Goes Wrong**

Driving to the meeting site, Steve's mind was full of thoughts. _Is Jesse going to be there? Is this going to be some sort of set up?_ And the big one, _'will he be able to keep Jesse safe?'_ Because he was so worried about Jesse, it took him no time at all to get there and when he did, Steve realised that he was the first to arrive.

While he waited, Steve looked around the car park. Except for a few cars, it was just about empty. Steve didn't like this one bit, not one bit. It seemed…too open; they would be out in the open with too many places a sniper could be hiding on the nearby buildings. But Steve didn't get to dwell on it too much as a black car pulled up.

Steve was surprised that the only person to get out of the car was Drake. He did wonder where Drake's sidekick Kesler was, but he guessed that Drake knew Dane the best and they just didn't want to scare him off, and neither did Steve. At least not until he knew Jesse was safe.

"Drake."

"Detective Sloan, please take note that I am not happy that you more or less blackmailed me, so you could be here."

"I'm just doing my job…making sure that Jesse is safe and that his dad is brought in alive."

"If you say so. I take it you have had a look around?"

"Yes, and I'm going with you to the meeting."

"I don't think so," Drake said as they made their way up the staircase to the car park. "I want to talk to him alone first. There are some things that Dane Travis must hear and I think it's the best that he hears them directly from me."

"This guy has killed two people with his bare hands."

"It's alright, Detective. I have some things I need to take care of myself."

"I'll give you five minutes." Steve watched Drake walk away. He wasn't at all comfortable with this, but he also didn't really have much say about it.

As Drake walked away, Steve saw a dark blue car pull into the car park. He hoped that it was Dane and that Jesse was with him and to his relief, it was. Steve watched as they both climbed out of the car.

Steve couldn't help but think how good looking Jesse was in the black suit he was wearing and even more sexy with the sunglasses on. God he wished he could tell Jesse how he felt about him, but it would just ruin their friendship and he knew that he would lose Jesse forever.

Drake watched as the dark blue car pulled in and Dane Travis climbed out. On the other side of the car, another person also climbed out and he guessed that this was Dane's son, Jesse, and the reason why he had one Doctor Sloan on his back. But right now all of that didn't matter, what did was telling Dane what was really going on here.

"It's not what you think it is, Dane."

"Really?" Dane questioned as they all moved into a smaller group.

"If you had come to me first…"

"I did…you stonewalled me."

"There are reasons why I didn't want you digging into the Turnkey files…personal reasons."

"It started getting personal when people started shooting at us…"

"Jesse…"

"No, Dad, this guy owes you some answers. You've been running for your life and he's walking around playing 'Mr. Need to Know', enough is enough."

"Your son's right. I think it's time you knew what's going on."

As Drake moved a few steps away, the sound of a gun being fired rang out and Drake dropped to the ground. Dane quickly grabbed Jesse and pushed him behind a cement post as more bullets start to fly around them.

Steve had been watching the movements between the three men, or rather, Jesse's and it seemed that Jesse was angry for some reason, but at least he looked like he wasn't being held against his will. But as soon as the first bullet was fired, Steve dived for cover in the stair well. But once the firing was finished, Steve headed out, gun pulled and made his way to Drake's lifeless body. He had seen Dane pull Jesse to safety, so he wasn't too worried about him, but as he crouched down to check Drake, Steve felt an arm wrap around his neck.

Dane's first though was to get Jesse to safety and after the firing had finished he saw a man approach their hiding place. The tall man walked slowly towards Drake and when he bent down to check him, Dane used this to his advantage and put him in an arm lock.

Jesse was scared, but that fear doubled when he saw his dad wrap his arms around Steve's neck. He knew his dad could kill a man with his bare hands and his heart nearly stopped at the thought that his dad might kill Steve.

"NO!" Jesse screamed. "Dad, don't kill him." Jesse raced over and grabbed at his dad. "That's Steve, he's a friend, not the person who just tried to shoot us. Please, Dad, let him go. I lov…"

Dane looked up at Jesse. He could see the fear and distress that was in his voice reflected in his eyes. Nodding, Dane let Steve go and watched as his son kneeled beside his friend.

"Your friend is going to be all right," Dane said trying to calm Jesse down.

Jesse wanted to believe his dad, but he saw the photo of his dad's first victim and Bruce's body, to know too well what his dad could do. Carefully, and not too sure if he really wanted to know, Jesse placed two fingers on Steve's neck. When he found a strong pulse, Jesse let out the breath he was holding. It was now that he looked back at his dad, only to see him going through Steve's pockets.

"What are you doing?"

"We need a new car to get away in and the longer we hang around here, the longer there is a chance he will be pulled into all of this."

"You can't just steal a cop car, Dad. The LAPD will track us down in no time."

"Not if I deactivate his low-jack and switch the number plates. Now can we stop talking about this and just go?" Dane said as he grabbed Steve's keys and started to head off.

Jesse looked at Steve's unconscious body one more time, gave a silent 'sorry' and then raced after his dad.

**Thank you for reading and for reviewing my story.**


End file.
